The realistic WW1 novel that is 'one of the greatest books ever'

A World War 1 novel has readers captivated, as they label it one of the greatest books. Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks explores the story of a British man who arrives in Amiens, France, to stay with a family. But things change as a secret love affair threatens to ruin the household. Years later, the young man finds himself on the Western Front fighting for the things most important to him.

The Sunday Times has described the book as "magnificent - deeply moving", while The Times says it is "engrossing, moving, and unforgettable", and it appears both opinions are true. The book has an impressive 4.5-star rating out of five on Amazon.

Among the thousands of ratings, one person called the book "stirring and powerful" before adding that it "honours the men who actually went through this."

Martin Belcher expressed that he "can't rate this book more highly" and that his interest in tracing his family tree led him to read it.

He added: "I absolutely loved Birdsong, it is everything a good book should be, I could not bear to put it down and I really felt I was there with the characters. Sebastian Faulks beautiful descriptions and wonderful vocabulary really make it a joy to read."

Zoe Friesen, who read the book just last month, rated the novel a full five stars and said it is "one of the greatest books".

Echoing the book's brilliance, Stuart Nutt highlighted that although one could not truly imagine what such a war was like while living in 2025, its depiction was powerful and well executed.

He wrote: "Extremely well written story of war and love. Description of the military action in world war one is difficult to understand in 2025, but so graphic. And the underlying love stories are beautiful. Much better than the film, which itself is excellent."

Another person also made the comparison between the television drama and said the novel itself "is so much better".

They added: "Unsurprisingly, death is a prominent theme in this book, but is handled in such a way that every death or injury described manages to work its way into your heart until you feel sorrow for the many lost. It is a powerful reminder of what was sacrificed for us. I implore you to read it."

So if you haven't read the compelling and gripping novel yet, it is worth adding this book to your reading list.